Asparagus is a vegetable stem with 317 known flavor compounds. The most distinctive molecule is 2-isopropyl-3-methoxyprazine. It pairs most strongly with peas, sharing 122 flavor compounds. Asparagus appears in 4,157 recipes, most commonly in world cuisine.
Compounds ranked by rarity — the higher the score, the more distinctive to this ingredient.
Of the ~226 molecules that drive perceived food aroma (Dunkel et al. 2014), Asparagus's inventory contains 60. Most of the other 257 compounds are below detection threshold.
+ 48 more — showing top 12 by class and threshold.
Generalist = appears in >25% of foods (Maillard / fermentation products). Individualist = appears in <5% of foods (carries signature notes). Threshold values are in clean water — the actual perception threshold in a food matrix can differ substantially.
How Asparagus's 317 known compounds break down by aroma category. Percentages are of compounds with a known label.
72 of 317 are distinctive to asparagus — they appear in under 10% of foods. The remainder are the background most foods share.
Ordered by measured impact in asparagus — concentration against odour threshold where both are published, then by how distinctive the molecule is across the graph. Molecules measured here but not established as odorants sit below those that are.
Ranked by how often cooks actually use them together, across 453,403 recipes — the familiar answer first. Each pairing still carries its molecular score and shared-compound count; only the ORDER differs. Counts cover every characterised molecule the two ingredients have in common, not only the aroma-active ones, so they can exceed an ingredient’s aroma-compound count. For the chemistry-first view — where the surprising pairings live — see the molecular network below, the side-by-side comparison, or the Pairing Tool.
Asparagus and its 10 closest compound-sharing relatives. Spoke thickness = shared compounds; circle size = that ingredient's own compound count. Drag to rearrange, scroll to zoom, click to open.
Compare Asparagus side-by-side
Drawn from PubMed + Europe PMC + food-science journals. Click any title to read the full abstract on the original source.
22 Cabernet Sauvignon wines from 10 representative Chinese wine regions are collected, which wines contain plant aromas? GC × GC-QTOFMS/O analysis identified a total of 11 compound... Read abstract →
Illicit drug use remains a global concern, requiring effective detection methods to counter evolving concealment strategies. Natural drugs derived from plants typically retain dist... Read abstract →
This study revealed the sensory characteristics, flavor components and formation mechanisms of Asparagus cochinchinensis (AC) (Lour.) through techniques such as electronic tongue,... Read abstract →
Yuanjiang <i>Miscanthus lutarioriparius</i>, which is rich in various bioactive components, exhibits significant potential in the development of functional foods. However, research... Read abstract →
Asparagus tea enhances the taste and flavor of processed foods when used as an ingredient during preparation. In this study, asparagus tea ultra-micro powder was incorporated into... Read abstract →
